Tuesday, December 29, 2015

2015 ~ A Look Back

What a crazy, exciting and emotional year it has been! As I was preparing to write this post I looked back at last year's and realized that our little family has come so far in just a year's time! Praise God for all he has done in this past year. A lot of healing and blessings in our little family in 2015!

* After a really hard holiday season dealing with the loss of our first baby at 9 weeks, both The Hubs and I were in a tough place. Going back to work was really therapeutic for me because I absolutely love my job! But sadly January began one of the hardest stretches of our journey yet. We began trying for a baby again and were really discouraged when it didn't happen the first month like it had the first time. I was also dealing with some crazy physical stuff because of my surgery that was very discouraging.

* I locked myself out of the house and had to climb through a window to get back in! That was fun, read about it here!

* We celebrated 1 year of having Kira in our family! We love this crazy high-energy dog so much!

February 2015

* We bought a house and moved in on February 1st! It was such a healing thing for us and really helped us switch our focus to something exciting!

* We were sad to say goodbye to the townhouse we had lived in for 2 years, but that home held lots of sad memories so a new start felt needed.

* We love our little home but it is definitely a starter home! So many projects were on our never-ending to-do list! We got started right away by painting every room in the house! I really had so much fun making this house our home!

* At the end of the month we celebrated The Hub's turning 25! So glad this amazing man is in my life!

March 2015

* Still no baby, and I was getting discouraged. My doctor said it was completely normal after the surgery and to just be patient. So I decided to shift my focus on teaching and I did a lot of fun, extra things in my classroom! Read about them here and here.

* We got lots more done in our new home and began to really settle in! The animals especially began to feel at home!

April 2015

* Still working on home improvement projects! We added some curb appeal to our house and Kira discovered the back yard was perfect for digging!

* Celebrated Easter just the 2 of us because we had commitments at our church. I held an Easter egg hunt for the kids and had a blast!

* We took an early 3-year anniversary trip to Kansas City to see the Tour De Compadres concert. Collin got to go to Ikea for the first time and it is our favorite concert we have ever been to! Turned out to be one of the best trips we have ever taken especially because my parents met us in KC and treated us to lunch!

* Another month of no baby, I started to do some research and found out that getting active could help. So our little family started going on hikes near our house and walking around our neighborhood.

May 2015

* This month was an emotional rollercoaster! I had reached the point where I was beginning to think we would never have a baby. I felt like every person in the world EXCEPT me was pregnant and I really had a rough month. We stayed active and I even started running (yuck) to hopefully help in this area. I also began eating super healthy to try and get my body to its best!

* School getting out for the summer was good. The kids can sense when it's time and when they reach that point I am ready to get out of there! It was a great first year of teaching and my love of the career was only solidified.

* At the end of the month we welcomed sweet Rigby into our family! We had been wanting a second dog for a while and we went to just look and someone fell in love (okay, it was me)! He is seriously the best dog ever! He is the perfect companion for Kira, they are best friends!

* The 25th marked 3 years of wedded bliss! We went on a date to our favorite Thai restaurant! We had been and were going through some rough stuff but gosh do I love The Hubs and how strong and faithful to God he was through it all! I picked the perfect partner for this crazy life!

June 2015

* June brought absolutely beautiful weather! The Hubs and I spent lots of time outside in our back yard.

* I began teaching summer school which was a nice way to make some extra cash and stay busy!

* Rigby was settling in nicely and Kira was happily beginning to accept him as a new part of the family. I think she liked having a playmate!

* We undertook our next big house project... new carpet in both bedrooms! We felt so adult when making this purchase!

* We found out we were PREGNANT! After the loss of our first baby and 7 long months of trying we were so overjoyed to find out we had another miracle awaiting us!

July 2015

* This month we were basically just overjoyed that there was a sweet baby growing in my belly! It would be a lie if I said there wasn't also a lot of fear and worry. The first month we both struggled with worry that we would lose this sweet babe too. But we got great news at our 10 week appointment which let us hear the heartbeat, a sound we never got to hear with our first baby.

* My two best friends from high school came to visit and it was so fun to share the news with them!

* My sister and I who are both teachers, spent a day together making 16 freezer meals to prepare for the beginning of school. I love that she lives only 45 minutes away!

* The first trimester exhaustion hit me hard this month and I spent most of my time snuggled on the couch with the pups and taking 2 naps a day!

* It finally got really hot this month and our times outside were much fewer. But Rigby loves being outside so we made sure he got to go out!

August 2015

* August means back to school for this teacher. Lots of classroom prep as I moved to a brand new addition of the school. I hate the first days of school when your kids know nothing and have to learn your expectations. Luckily I have an amazing class this school year and they actually caught on very quickly! Happy teacher, happy classroom ;)

* School overtakes me in August and back to school meant back to grading papers. I was exhausted by the end of the day and always needed a snack to get me through grading!

* We announced our pregnancy to the world which felt so good and I began my bumpdates!

September 2015

* I celebrated my 25th birthday on the 1st of the month. The Hubs always buys the best gifts!

* I entered the second trimester and started to get my energy back! My bump really began to show at 17 weeks and at 18 weeks I felt baby's first tiny kicks!

* In other big news, Kira and Rigby started cuddling! This is a big deal in The Smith household! We love cuddling!

October 2015

* October brought week 20 of pregnancy which meant we were half way! We had our big ultrasound and held strong on not finding out the gender! Bebe was perfectly healthy and is either a boy or a girl... we will just wait and see!

* We started slowly working on the baby's room.

* We said goodbye to our beloved cat Melvin as he went to live with my parents in Kansas. We wanted to downsize our animal load and my mom has always loved Melvin so they jumped at the chance to take him! We miss him but know he is very happy there!

* We held a Halloween party at our house with some great friends! This is the first time we had entertained at our house and it was so much fun!

* I shared about our miscarriage, which had been a secret from everyone but closest friends and family. I got so much support and encouragement from everyone, it felt great to be able to share our first baby's story. We will always love you Selah. Read the post here.

November 2015

* We finally got our crib painted and put together (thanks sister and hubs!). It was The Hub's crib from when he was a baby so it's really special!

* I started to really look unmistakably pregnant! Growing bigger each day!

* November was a very relaxed month with nothing too special. Ended with a great Thanksgiving with my in-laws. Eating for 2 on Thanksgiving is the best!

December 2015

* I entered the third and final trimester! I have had a very easy pregnancy but am very ready to meet this sweet babe and find out if we will have a son or daughter!

* We got our house all decorated for Christmas, my favorite time of year!

* Wrapped up a wonderful first semester with my fourth graders. I received so many sweet gifts from my students. As much as I was ready for break I will miss my kiddos over the 3 weeks!

* The Hubs and I went to a wedding of some friends. It was fun to get the bump all dressed up!

* I was bit by the blogging bug again and have blogged a lot in December. I love writing and having this space to look back on is great! Check it out!

* December is not quite over yet so I still have plenty of Christmas Break left. I will spend it relaxing, snuggling with the animals and enjoying free time... and lots of delicious food!

Boy are these posts long, but they are one of my favorites to write! I love looking back on the year I have had and remembering the great times. Even seeing the tough times is good because it helps me to remember how faithful God is! I am so excited for 2016 because we will get to meet our sweet baby and begin the adventure of parenting!